MINING ENGINEERS plan and direct the engineering aspects of locating and extracting minerals, petroleum and natural gas from the earth.

Indicative Skill Level:In Australia and New Zealand:

Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Registration or licensing may be required.

Tasks Include:

conducting preliminary surveys of mineral, petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, Geologists, Geophysicists, other mineral scientists and other engineers to determine the resources present, the feasibility of extracting the reserves, and the design and development of the extraction process

preparing operation and project cost estimates and production schedules, and reporting progress, production and costs compared to budget

determining the most suitable methods of ore extraction taking account of such factors as depth of overburden, and attitude and physical characteristics of deposits and surrounding strata

preparing plans for tunnels and chambers, location and construction of mine shafts, layout of mine development and the application of appropriate mining techniques, often using computer modelling

assessing the natural, technical, financial and safety risks associated with the phases of the project development, construction and operations

determining the safety of processes, order of extraction and safety of mine walls, evaluating the risk of slippage and advising on the prevention of slippage and rock falls

planning and coordinating the utilisation of labour and equipment consistent with efficiency targets, statutes, safety guidelines and environmental conditions

planning and conducting research and providing advice on engineering operations for the exploration, location and extraction of petroleum and natural gas